Sterilizing devices for hypodermic needles and/or syringes



1956 M. B. WEINBERGER 2,775,005

STERILIZING DEVICES FOR HYPODERMIC NEEDLES AND/OR SYRINGES Filed Oct. 28, 1953 E IEiE INVENTOR.

7 BY 7416,, 5 Mia? United States Patent STERILIZIN G DEVICES FOR HYPUDERMIC NEEDLES AND/0R SYRENGES Milton B. Weinberger, White Plains, N. Y assignor to Hospital Equipment Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1953, Serial No. 388,802

1 Claim. (Cl. 21-82) This invention relates to sterilizing devices and, more particularly, to sterilizing devices for hypodermic needles and/or syringes in which the sterilized needles and syringes are so arranged that after sterilization an individual syringe may be easily removed, the syringe tip then being inserted in a needle and used to remove the needle from the device thus eliminating possibilities of contamination before use.

The chief object of the present invention is to provide an economical and efiicient sterilizing device for hypodermic needles and/ or syringes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sterilizing device for hypodermic needles and/or syringes which may be employed in an autoclave or in a hot air sterilizer.

A further object is to provide a sterilizing device including a support member having a plurality of tapered eyelets therein which serve to hold hypodermic needles in substantially vertical position during the sterilization operation and subsequent removal of individual needles. Other objects of the invention will be readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to a sterilizing device for hypodermic needles and/or syringes which comprises in combination a container, a cover for the container and a support member placed within the container below the cover, said member having a plurality of openings therein to receive the instruments to be sterilized and to hold the same in a substantially vertical position during the sterilizing operation.

The attached drawing discloses a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the sterilizing device;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the support member; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the sterilizing device.

Referring to the attached drawings, there is shown the sterilizing device of the present invention which includes a container or jar 2 having a shoulder 3 formed in its wall. A cover 4 is provided which includes a top portion 5 and a skirt 6 adapted to rest on shoulder 3 of container 2 during the sterilizing operation. The cover 4 may include a dished portion 7 in its top 5 and a handle 8 to aid in removal of the cover from the container.

A support member or rack 9 is placed within the container 2 to support the needles or syringes to be sterilized. Support 9 includes a disk 10 and a plurality of spaced legs 11 attached thereto, the legs resting on the base of the container to hold the disk 10 a desired distance from the base of the container.

Disk 10 has a plurality of spaced openings 12 formed therein peripherally of the disk, openings 12 serving to receive and support in substantially vertical position a desired number of syringes to be sterilized. A second series of spaced openings 13 are formed in disk 10 and extend in circular relation about the center of the disk; openice lugs 13 are placed in the disk between the openings 12 and the center of the disk and serve to hold hypodermic needles in substantially vertical position. If desired, an opening 14 may be formed centrally of the disk which may be used to remove the rack or, if desired, may hold a syringe for sterilization. If desired, the center of the disk may be recessed (not shown) to assure adequate clearance between the top of the needle hub and the underside of the cover.

Preferably, openings 13 are provided in the form of eyelets expanded in the holes and extending below the under side of disk 10. The eyelets are taper-set to reduce the shanks thus shaping them to properly fit the hubs of the hypodermic needles thereby securely holding the needles in desired position.

When the present sterilizing device is employed, the syringes and needles, after washing, are placed in the openings 12 and eyelets 13, respectively, the cover being placed on the device, and the device placed in an auto clave or heated air sterilizer. After sterilization, the cover may be removed and a syringe plunger and barrel flange grasped without contaminating other syringes. The syringe tip may be inserted in a needle hub and the needle removed. If desired, the needle hub may be given an additional twist to assure proper locking engagement. The cover may then be replaced.

The present invention provides a simple, economical sterilizing device for hypodermic needles and syringes which assures efiective sterilization and prevents contamination upon removal of individual syringes and needles. The instruments to be sterilized are held in substantially vertical position during the sterilizing operation thus aiding in the attainment of etfective sterilization. The device provides vertical suspension of the syringes and adequate clearance of the syringe tips from the interior of the container.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood my invention is not limited thereto since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claim.

I claim:

In a sterilizing device for hypodermic needles and/or syringes, the combination of a container, a cover for the container, a support member placed within the container below the cover comprising a relatively thin disk and a plurality of spaced legs resting on the base of the container, and disk containing a plurality of spaced relatively long tapered eyelets placed in circular relation about the center of the disk and a plurality of spaced openings of an area larger than the area of the eyelets peripherally of the disk, the disk being thin with respect to the length of the eyelets, said eyelets and said openings serving to receive instruments to be sterilized and to hold the same in a substantially vertical position during the sterilizing operation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 22,832 Meyerson Jan. 21, 1947 612,625 Decker Oct. 18, 1898 2,346,725 Butzke Apr. 18, 1944 2,435,994 Zukerman Feb. 17, 1948 2,454,602 Gunther Nov. 23, 1948 2,523,877 Pestolesi Sept. 26, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 68,178 Denmark Dec. 6, 1948 660,491 Great Britain Nov. 7, 1951 

